Take The Day
by Galadriel1010
Summary: In a life that doesn't allow for carefully planned dates, Jack and Ianto seize their chances where they can find them. Written as a gift for Ruth. Schmoop Bingo prompted
1. Once More Unto The Beach

**Author's Note:** This little series is only five stories long, and it is, you guessed it, Jack/Ianto schmoop. Murhar, and all that. It is a gift, for my darling Ruthie, who requested Fire in the Fireplace.

Today's prompt: Sunscreen

* * *

Jack checked the weather forecast and the Rift predictor and made a decision. He picked up his phone and wallet and strode out into the Hub proper. "Ianto and I are taking the afternoon, guys. Ianto, meet me by the TI office in..." he twisted his watch around to look at it and smiled at Ianto's shocked expression, "thirty minutes. I'll make it worth your while, I promise."

"Jack, you can't just do that," Gwen protested, smiling as if she thought it was a joke. "What about the rest of us?"

He shrugged, squeezed Ianto's shoulder in passing and waited for the cog door to open. "You can make it up to us for the number of night shifts we've covered. Remind me, Gwen, when the last time you covered the night shift was?"

"There isn't a night shift..." she argued, confused.

"Yes there is," Ianto corrected her without looking up from where he'd buried his gaze. "The only time it's ever an issue is when Jack is away, and then Tosh usually takes it. Jack and I do it every night."

"What, together?" she asked.

"Yep." He started collecting his things together and tidying up, and stood up to retrieve his phone from the edge of Tosh's desk. "I'll do a pot of coffee before I leave, so don't drink it too fast. Don't expect to see us before tomorrow."

Owen retreated to the autopsy bay, muttering, and Gwen followed, casting glances over her shoulder. Running over his list of what he might need in his head to make sure he had everything, Ianto made up the pot of coffee as promised and headed out towards the cog door past Tosh, stopping by her desk briefly. "Sorry, Tosh. I'll leave it up to you what you decide to tell them," he smiled wryly and accepted a Malteser. "Are you going to be okay until tomorrow?"

She put the bag back in her drawer and nodded. "We'll be fine, and we'll try not to call you unless it's essential."

"I'll hold you to that," he waved the Malteser at her and popped it into his mouth. "Mmph!"

"Bye, Ianto."

Up on the boardwalk outside the TI office, the cool breeze off the bay was a welcome relief from the warm sun high in the clear blue sky. Tourists flocked around the area, many of them queueing for rides on the boats that took them out for trips around the Bay and out into the Bristol Channel or looking for somewhere to sit and eat their ice creams or fish and chips. The sunlight sparkled off the tiny scudding waves beyond the piers and glinted off fibreglass masts and metal rails on the yachts moored at the marina. Ianto dodged a group of teenagers clustered around a fluttering map that kept trying to escape their grasp and went to lean on one of the posts at the edge of the boardwalk, folding his arms on the top of it and resting his weight on them, eyes closed and face turned into the sun.

He didn't have to wait long. From out of the bustle and noise of the tourists clustered around him a hand rested on his waist, and another on the chain next to the post he was leaning on. Jack's hip bumped against his own, and the arm crossing behind him tightened slightly to draw them closer together. "They weren't any trouble, I hope?"

Ianto leaned back into Jack's arm and tipped his head to the side to rest it against Jack's. "No. Gwen and Owen went to have a discussion in the autopsy bay. They may have questions in the morning, though."

Jack gave a disgruntled grunt and turned his head to the side, nudging his nose against Ianto's cheek until he turned to kiss Jack. "You taste of chocolate," he murmured, half-accusingly.

"Yep," Ianto returned his gaze to the Bay and shrugged, bumping their shoulders together in the process. "Tosh gave me a Malteser."

"I feel left out," Jack sighed, then perked up. "Come on, I'll buy you an ice cream first."

"First? Why does the word 'first' fill me with worry?" he asked, letting Jack take his hand and drag him along. "Jack, we've got all afternoon, there's no rush."

"I know, but I want to make the most of it." He was fishing in the carrier bag he'd brought, which had been hanging off his wrist, and produced two pairs of sunglasses. "Here. Safety first."

"Jack, those are hideous," Ianto protested at the sight of the lime-green frames. "Where did you find them?"

"Clares Accessories," he said defensively, putting his own on. "They were the only place that had any left; I think the sun caught people by surprise today."

"Did me," Ianto agreed. "But really... Clares?"

"Well, if you'd brought your own, we wouldn't have this problem," Jack pointed out. "I did bring my own, but I'm wearing these out of solidarity, so that you don't feel silly."

Ianto shook his head and held out his hand. "Give them here, then. And thank you."

"You're welcome." Jack passed them over as they joined the the queue for the ice cream kiosk, and bounced on the balls of his feet. "What do you fancy? I'm thinking a tub or rum and raisin."

"Sounds good," Ianto agreed. "Do they do big tubs here? Could we just get a big one and a couple of spoons?"

"I like the way you think. Not got any spoons though..."

"And I suppose they don't sell those at Clares," Ianto commented, looking around. "I could always run back down and pick up a couple of spoons whilst you get the ice cream... then I could pick up my sunglasses as well."

Jack kissed him and nudged him out of the queue. "I always said you were the brains of the operation. Where shall we meet?"

"Outside the TI Office?" Ianto called back. "As usual."

He went down the invisible lift this time, not wanting to use the TI office entrance more than necessary whilst there were so many people around. The invisible lift had the added advantage of being hidden behind a cluster of tents set up for the food festival, and they were used to the five of them wandering around where they technically weren't allowed to be. It was probably Jack's fault; most things were.

The others looked up as he descended on the lift, pulling his jacket off as he came. Gwen was back at her own desk, and turned around on her chair to ask, "Back so soon?"

He smiled at her and hooked a finger under the knot of his tie to slide it off. "Just briefly. I've been sent for sunglasses and spoons. The striptease is entirely my own initiative, so I hope you appreciate it." The lift clunked into place and he stepped off, going into Jack's office to hang his jacket and tie neatly on a hanger on the coat stand first and then going to the kitchen. "Lots of people around, so I'd go out by the lift if you have to."

"Thanks, Ianto," Tosh acknowledged him absently. "Your sunglasses are over here."

"Thank you." He collected them and smiled at Gwen. "See you tomorrow; and I mean it this time." She was still staring as he disappeared out of sight again, and it made him feel just slightly smug.

He had to walk past the ice cream kiosk to get to the TI Office, and decided to stop and wait there rather than down below when he saw that Jack was still in the queue. Jack greeted him with a bridge smile and reached out for his hand. "Better?"

"Much, thanks," he took Jack's hand and held it loosely, strolling idly along the walkway with him. "It's a lovely day for a promenade."

"It is," Jack agreed. "It is a lovely day indeed. What do you say we go for a promenade around the edge of the Bay? Or would you rather head up into town?"

"Oh Bay, definitely," Ianto tugged on Jack's hand to lead him down towards the abandoned docks. "Although I'm going to burn if we're not careful."

"If I say I've bought Factor 50, will you let me apply it?" Jack smirked at him and waved the carrier bag. "I brought lunch as well. Thought we could make a whole day of it, go for dinner tonight?"

Ianto squeezed his hand and smiled shyly. "I told the others not to expect us back until tomorrow. It must be our turn, after all."

"Yeah, it must," Jack agreed. "I'm sorry, Ianto. We never get to do normal stuff..."

"It's fine," he interrupted, cutting off Jack's apologies. "I enjoy spending time with you, even at work, and especially on spontaneous dates. Normal is just a social construct anyway, and you know I'm not that social."

"I'm a bad influence on you," Jack muttered fondly. "I'm sure you were sweet and innocent once."

"I'm sure my mother would disagree. One day we are going to have to tell her..." he sighed.

"We don't have to if you don't want to," Jack insisted gently. "If it's going to cause problems, she doesn't need to know."

"It's not... not what you think," Ianto explained slowly, "she knows too much. She's a bit of a gossip and, well... she already knows I don't work for the tourist board."

"Ah..."

"Yeah. I don't really want to introduce you and have her put two and two together and realise that I'm working for Torchwood. Not whilst her health's like this, anyway." He squeezed Jack's hand again and stopped him. "It's not about you, or even us. It's about Torchwood; what we are matters more to me personally, don't get me wrong. But we have to..."

"To put Torchwood first," Jack finished for him. "I know. Even if it didn't, I wouldn't want to risk it affecting her health any more than you do. How long do you reckon it would take for her to demand to meet me?"

"Thirty seconds," Ianto stated without having to consider it. "And she'll flirt. Constantly."

Jack leaned in and kissed him, brief and sweet. "Stake your claim, I know how much you enjoy it. Don't think I didn't notice you smirking at Gwen earlier. Come on, ice cream's getting cold."

Ianto frowned after him for a moment. "I don't think you mean what you just said."

"Maybe not," Jack shrugged. "Coming?"

They settled down on a patch of grass close to the water's edge which was partially hidden by a patch of tall reeds, and dug out the ice cream and suntan lotion. Ianto was just standing the spoons up in the partially melted dessert when Jack's hands slid around his throat from behind and started working on his buttons. "Jack, stop it."

"Why?" Jack smirked against the back of his neck and carried on unbuttoning when Ianto offered no further objections or obstructions. "Just your shirt, Ianto. I'm not going to advocate public nudity... this time."

"You are impossible." Ianto knocked Jack's hands away and finished the job himself, tugging his shirt off and folding it carefully. "But it's your fault if I burn."

"I won't let you burn," Jack scoffed. He'd got the bottle of suntan lotion out and squeezed a generous amount into the palm of one hand. When Ianto turned away from him and tipped his head forwards, Jack spread smooth lines of lotion across his back and started massaging it in gently. "You're too tense, too. You should go for a session with Carol."

Ianto groaned at the sensations of Jack's hands unknotting tight muscles and closed his eyes. "Well, next time we'll plan more in advance, as we can go for a couples' session."

"She'll love that," Jack laughed.

"More than you stealing her job," Ianto pointed out. "Are you going to let me do the bits I can reach?"

"No; you can do me," Jack insisted. "Fair's fair, and all that. Turn around."

Ianto turned awkwardly and let Jack do his arms and face, then leaned back, bracing himself on his hands, to give him access to his chest. He lifted one hand to brush through Jack's hair, eliciting a slight broadening of his smile. "The ice cream's melting."

"I'm nearly done," Jack protested. He wiped his hands off on a tissue and unclipped his braces, then set to work on his buttons whilst Ianto started on the ice cream. "Is it good?"

"Very," Ianto confirmed, taking another spoonful and offering it to Jack. "Try."

Jack smiled around the spoon and pulled it out of Ianto's fingers with his mouth to pull his T shirt off. "Very nice indeed."

Ianto dropped his gaze to search for the suntan lotion, knowing that Jack wasn't just talking about the ice cream. He repeated the process Jack had used, gentle fingers and palms ensuring a complete covering of protection and brushing gently or firmly against the right places.

An hour later, ice cream half-eaten and half-melted, with the sun sinking from its zenith, Ianto closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek against Jack's chest. A chuckle rumbled beneath his head, and Jack stroked the back of his head, rubbing at the shell of his ear with his thumb, and tightened his arm around Ianto. "Happy down there?" Jack asked lazily.

Ianto nodded and smiled, enjoying the feeling of contentment curling through him loosely. "Never better."


	2. A Night at The Movies

**Author's Note:** Prompt - Movie Night

* * *

They'd had a tough day, but it was finally over. A lemur-like alien had led them a merry dance around a patch of woodland on the far side of Cardiff, and had only been caught when they stopped for some food and it snuck out of the wood to investigate them. It was currently draped around Tosh's shoulders, gibbering softly and playing with her hair.

Jack was driving, and really didn't want to go back to the Hub; he had so much to do that he wouldn't be able to leave that night, and he didn't want to keep Ianto at the Hub waiting for him. A sign at the entrance to one of the parks caught his eye and he pulled in at the side of the road with a grin, pulling the keys from the ignition. "Owen," he dropped the keys in the surprised medic's lap and looked back over his shoulder at Ianto. "You can drive from here. Lock up and get home; Tosh, are you alright taking our visitor for the night, or would you rather leave him in the cells?"

"He can come with me," she assured him, with a note of censure. Her fingers curled in the alien's blue-black fur, and it made an excited chirruping noise and wrapped its arms around her neck. "We're not going to have to..."

"You can keep him," he laughed and turned to smile at Ianto. "Are you coming?"

Ianto covered his surprise and unfastened his seatbelt. "If I'm invited. Erm... where are we going?"

"Nice walk in the park, and then home." Jack seized the opportunity of a break in the traffic and opened his door. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, boys," Gwen smiled at them tiredly and covered a yawn.

"Night, Harkness. Ianto, try to keep him out of trouble?" Owen asked.

"I'll do my best," Ianto promised as he got out of the car. "See you tomorrow."

Owen climbed inelegantly over the central console, and Jack reached out for Ianto's hand. "Are you hungry?"

Ianto thought about it and tugged Jack out of the way of the SUV. "Not really. Not yet, anyway. Why?"

"Well..." Jack pointed across the road to the poster he'd spotted. "I thought maybe dinner and a movie?"

"Yeah, okay," Ianto smiled at him and started heading for the pedestrian crossing. "What are they showing?"

"I have no idea," Jack confessed cheerfully. "We'll find out when we get there I suppose."

They bought tickets at the gate and wandered through the park towards the temporary screen that had been set up. It was the one that they put up on the Plass or at the Castle occasionally for different events, like football matches and Children in Need. Neither of them had paid any attention to the film they were showing tonight; it was one of the new family films of the Summer, possibly the new Pirates of the Caribbean or Shrek. As they had fifteen minutes until it started, Jack found the ice cream van and bought two triple scoop cones. Ianto rolled his eyes and took Jack's free hand in his own again, gesturing with their joined hands to a patch of grass at the edge of the expanding crowd. "Over there?"

Jack shrugged and nodded. "It's as good as anywhere, really. I should have got the blanket out of the back of the SUV."

"You never think of these things, do you?" Ianto asked, with an affected long-suffering sigh.

"No, because that's what I pay you for," Jack pointed out. "You're supposed to keep me organised."

"I may have the patience of a saint, but I do not have the miracle-working skills usually associated with the role, I regret to inform you," Ianto said mournfully as they reached the spot they'd chosen. He released jack's hand and dropped to the grass, then spread his legs out and patted the grass between them. "Sit."

Jack did so and leaned back against Ianto's chest, angling to one side so that they could both eat their ice creams comfortably. Ianto's arm wrapped loosely around his waist, but he shrugged the shoulder Jack was leaning against. "Don't put all your weight on me yet, Jack; I can't prop myself up."

"Sorry," he sat up straighter and covered Ianto's hand, aligning their fingers whilst most of his attention was on chasing drops of melted ice cream. "Do you think we're going to pay attention to the film, or just snog in the back row?"

"Well, we're not in the back row," Ianto started to point out, then sighed and wiped Jack's cheek with his thumb. "You're hopeless. As I was saying, we're not in the back row, and this is a family film."

"Kids need to get used to seeing two men together," Jack frowned and rubbed at his own cheek. "It's the twenty first century."

"Well yes, but from you?"

Jack thought about this and shrugged. "Well, fair point. I'm not that bad, though..." Ianto was silent. "Am I?" The silence continued. "You sound like the Doctor."

"I don't mean it like that, Jack," Ianto poked him. "And don't think I don't know why you brought him up. But you have to admit that we can get a bit carried away."

"I can behave," Jack protested. "Sometimes..."

"So prove it to me," Ianto smiled against Jack's temple. "Sit quietly and watch the film."

"Arse."

"You love it," he grinned. "Now hush."

Halfway through the film, Ianto realised that Jack was nearly asleep against his shoulder, and that revelation led to the further epiphany that it had been a harder week than he'd thought; nothing particularly dangerous, but constant, and Jack had, as always, been picking up the slack. He'd shifted around once they both finished their ice creams, and had one arm bracing them both next to Ianto's, and the other wrapped around Ianto's waist, and he'd turned so that he was side on and could rest his cheek on Ianto's shoulder and still see past to the screen. His eyes were half-closed, and his breathing was steady and deep. Ianto closed his eyes and flattened his fingers against Jack's firm stomach. Dining out was probably not on the itinerary for tonight, but the evening was warm, the city was safe and the man he loved was nearly asleep in his arms, surrounded by families who weren't batting an eyelid, and there was an excellent take-away just around the corner from Ianto's flat. And they could always rent the DVD and watch it when Jack was more awake. For tonight, Ianto would take him home and take care of him, like Jack's personal healing potion.

And then he'd get some sleep himself and wake up ready to face the world and deny all knowledge of that analogy.


	3. The Plot Thickens

**Author's Note:**Prompt: Fair/Carnival.

Fanon amendment: I need to go back and check to see how obvious this mistake is, but A Time For Family should have taken place before Tosh and Owen died. There were only 6 months between Exit Wounds and Children of Earth, not the 18 months I had estimated. I will go back and fix that... Some time.  


* * *

Ianto was having a quiet day in the TI Office, making the most of the fact that the boardwalk was closed for repairs after the summer to keep it closed without feeling guilty. He'd opened it a few times over the summer; not as often as he would have liked, but enough to give him a break from aliens and weirdness and to pretend, for a while, that Cardiff was normal. It hadn't lasted long, but it had been nice while it had.

He laughed to himself and set aside his report to remove the rack of out-of-date fliers that were annoying him. There were a few for the folk proms concert that he'd dragged Jack to a couple of weeks before, and a selection for the musical tours that had come through in the last six months. Whilst he cleared those out, however, a more recent one caught his eye, and he flicked it against his finger thoughtfully. "Do we have any sparklers?" he wondered aloud.

That evening, he went to Jack's office before anyone had really thought about heading home and lounged in the doorway. Jack was bent over a map of the events for the night, probably noting the areas of greatest concern or something similarly practical. Ianto didn't know, and didn't really care right that moment, either. His patience was wearing thin by the time Jack looked up at him, with his hair flopping into his eyes and a half-smile curling his lips. "Hey you. You got something for me?"

Ianto nodded and took Jack's coat down from its place on the stand, holding it out for Jack to put on. "Come with me?"

"Come with you?" Jack smiled, looking more confused than Ianto thought was called for, but stood up and turned to let Ianto slide the coat onto his shoulders and pull it straight. "I think that's a line for much later in the proceedings. Let me..." he reached past Ianto to collect Ianto's thick woollen coat, and indicated that Ianto should turn so that Jack could reciprocate the gesture. "Where are we going?"

"Remember remember, the fifth of November, gunpowder treason and..." Ianto looked up at Jack through his lashes. "Plot."

"So you're either taking me to watch fireworks, or someone's showing V for Vendetta," Jack mused, putting his gun in its drawer. "Will I need gloves?"

"Yep. It's cold out."

"It's October," Jack pointed out. He collected his gloves from the drawer and passed Ianto to tell the team, "Ianto and I are knocking up. Power down and lock up on your way out."

"I really hope you meant 'knocking off', Jack," Tosh said, voice laced with fond amusement. "Have a nice night."

"Well, maybe a bit of both, Toshiko," Jack grinned at her and finished pulling his gloves on. "No one is off radar tonight, okay? Be ready, just in case. There's a lot of people on the streets and a lot of distractions."

"Does that mean we're not allowed to drink?" Owen checked. "Great."

"It's the same every year, Owen," Ianto pointed out, joining Jack on the lift and letting Jack plant hands on his waist to steady them both once he'd activated the lift. "See you all tomorrow."

* * *

Ianto led Jack through the packed crowds towards the smell of burgers and sausages and pulled him into the queue. "Burger?" he offered.

"What, here?" Jack leered at him and lifted one of his hands to his lips. To Jack, the leather gloves were just an opportunity to seek out the tiny sliver of skin between the glove and Ianto's sleeve, right over his pulse, and press feather-light kisses to it.

"You and your anachronistic and vulgar terms for sex," Ianto mused affectionately. "Would you like a burger?"

"I would love a burger. Can I have onions with it, please?" He actually batted his lashes and Ianto responded by leaning in to kiss him. "Well... that wasn't onions, but I'm really not complaining."

Ianto laughed and leaned closer so that he could wrap one arm around Jack's waist, under his coat for more warmth. "Yes, you can have onions. I think I want a hot dog. No, Jack..." he gave Jack's leer a withering glare. "There's children around."

"I was merely going to suggest getting a puppy," he protested, too quickly. "Don't you think we should get a puppy?"

"No."

"Oh," he sighed and brushed his lips against Ianto's cheek whilst he thought. "We could get a cat?"

Ianto thought about it. Cats looked after themselves, more or less; didn't need walking, just cuddling and feeding. And Jack had had a cat in the past at the Hub, after all. "I'll think about it."

"Sap."

"Your idea," he pointed out. They moved forwards again and he was finally at the front of the queue. "Hi. Can I get a quarter pounder with onions, and a hot dog with onions."

"Sure thing; either of you want cheese?" the woman asked.

They both shook their heads and stepped aside to wait. A couple of minutes later they were walking away, hands and stomachs warming from the food. "I should have got drinks," he realised, looking around for another stall. "I'm thirsty now."

"It's not like we're short of options," Jack pointed out. His burger was proving more problematic than Ianto's hot dog, and the onions were trying to escape over his fingers. "I should have taken my gloves off for this."

"They'll live." Ianto ate his hot dog neatly and watched Jack, trying not to laugh at his consternation. "You're so messy."

"I can't help it! They're ganging up on me," he grinned at Ianto and took another big bite of his burger. "Good burgers though."

"Let me try?" Ianto smiled when Jack relented and held the burger out for him to take a bite. He had to agree, it was an excellent burger. "The food festival comes back to the Plass in a couple of weeks," he offered his hot dog to Jack absently. "I should take the opportunity to get us some decent sausages and burgers."

"I like that idea," Jack smiled at him and, finishing his burger, reached out to take Ianto's free hand in his own. "Bavarian smoked sausage and chorizo... we should do a raclette one night."

"Yeah, we should," Ianto agreed. "You can do the potatoes, though."

"Don't I always?" Jack laughed. "You'd just burn them."

"Would not."

"Did too."

"Stop it," Ianto pouted at him and Jack kissed him obligingly. "That's more like it."

They wandered around the fair for a while longer, buying toffee apples and bonfire toffee, and paper cups of warm apple and cinnamon. Jack went to a pick and mix van and spent twenty pounds on several kilos of sweets, putting most of them in a bag to go back to the Hub with them, but kept out the bag of honeycomb. On a church bric-a-brac stall, Ianto bought a collectable Barbie for his sister, and Jack bought a Hyvenic water cooler that had been mistaken for a child's toy for 50p.

As it drew towards time to watch the fireworks, they drifted away from the stalls with fresh cups of apple and cinnamon and a bag of doughnuts, heading for the edge of the field where they would have a better view of the fireworks going off above them. Ianto found them a spot by a leafless tree and set his bags down at the foot of it, then patted the ground and sat down gingerly. "I've been dryer," he told Jack thoughtfully, holding his hand out for Jack's. "But I've also been wetter. Coming?"

Jack smiled down at him and put his purchases in the neat pile with Ianto's, then sat carefully and pulled a face as he lay back on the damp grass. "My coat's going to get muddy."

"It's had much worse mud," Ianto pointed out. He shifted around until he could lie back level with Jack and did so, reaching over to take Jack's hand and lace their fingers together loosely. "I enjoyed tonight."

"So did I." Jack turned to smile at him and squeezed his fingers. "I think we may have eaten too much sugar, though."

"You're going to be up all night, aren't you?" Ianto sighed and turned his gaze back to the sky. Closer to the bonfire, the countdown was starting. "I guess we'll have to burn off some of your energy somehow."

"Oh yeah?" Jack was smirking.

"Yeah. You can walk home." The first firework shot into the air above them with perfect timing and exploded in a glittering cloud of gold and red, artificial stars drifting to Earth. High above the pumping music, and the throng of people and stalls and drifting smoke, the sky was lit up in greens, reds, yellows and blues, every shade imaginable crackling, sparkling and drifting against nature's glittering backdrop. He licked his lips and turned his head to the side to consider Jack's profile. "Looking out at a city, at the streetlights... it's like bringing the stars closer, isn't it? Every point of light is a hub of life in the darkness."

"That's why I love rooftops," Jack turned his head to meet Ianto's gaze, eyes serious and thoughtful. "I'm halfway between, stars above and city below. Both seem close enough to touch... but they never are, not really."

"You don't go to the roof any more," Ianto said softly, searching Jack's face for a clue. "Why?"

Jack smiled, eyes drifting away slightly. "Would you laugh if I told you that I found my candle in the window?"

Ianto thought about this and turned his gaze back to the sky. "No. I'm just glad you saw it, out of all the others."


	4. Dance Like Nobody's Watching

**Author's note:** This chapter is inspired by a masquerade ball I went to a couple fo weeks ago, and balls I've failed to attend over in the UK.

Last chapter was set at the Guy Fawkes Night bonfire held by the Round Table in Cardiff every year. In 2008 they held it a week early at the end of October, for some reason I can't fathom. If you're not aware of the festival (watch V for Vendetta) it's a big celebration held throughout the UK every year on or around the 5th November, to celebrate the failure of a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament.

I have assumed that Exit Wounds was set roughly March 2009, which is nearly a year after it was broadcast, but allows for all the episodes to fit in. It's harder when they don't give us a Christmas episode to plot by like they did in S1, but I think that Something Borrowed and Adrift were either side of Christmas.

Prompt: Dancing

* * *

The team had reacted with a distinct lack of surprise when Jack wandered out of his office and announced that he and Ianto were taking the evening off. Ianto hadn't realised that it had happened often enough for either of them to be predictable about it, but apparently they had. Jack was driving, in the Jaguar, and they were heading out of the city for an overnight trip if the Rift allowed them it, but Jack was being tight-lipped on the actual details.

Ianto was impressed with Jack's planning at least. It appeared that he'd found and booked a hotel room, apparently with a related event, and managed to pack their overnight bag without Ianto noticing that he was plotting. Admittedly, it had been a tough week, but Ianto was still more observant than that. He rested his hand on Jack's thigh, just for the contact, and closed his eyes with his head back. "How long have we got?"

"It's about another half hour," Jack assured him. "Get some sleep if you need to."

He grunted and relaxed back into the seat, enjoying the quiet and the simple fact of not having anything to do. Jack had had the car since it rolled off the production line and although he'd had it updated with better seatbelts and improved security and safety features, he hadn't had things like a radio or Sat Nav installed. Being in this car took Ianto back to a time before he was born, when everything was that bit more glamorous.

When they pulled to a stop on gravel, Ianto opened his eyes and blinked blearily. It was dark outside, and raining lightly, but floodlights lit the rain in a shimmering veil and revealed one of the many stately homes which had become too big for its family and been converted into a hotel. It was in the elegant Georgian style, absolutely symmetrical, with a neo-classical entrance and Virginia Creeper wrapped around one corner of the building, flaming red at this time of the year. He returned Jack's smile and stretched as much as he could in the confined space. "We're here. Where is here?"

"Here is a surprise," Jack leaned over and kissed him, then swung out of the car. "Trust me."

"I always do," he told the driver's seat, yawning so widely that his jaw cracked.

They checked in among signs about an evening ball, and were directed to a small but cosy room on the first floor. The furniture wasn't quite in keeping with the architecture – a little too Victorian, if Ianto had learned anything about period furniture – but it was elegant and extremely comfortable. Jack sat next to him on the bed and stroked his fingers over Ianto's stomach. "We have forty five minutes until dinner. Do you want to get a shower?"

"Ah, so we are here for that ball," Ianto opened an eye and smiled up at Jack. "Don't know if I can be bothered with a shower, but I should. Did you pack my dancing shoes?"

"I packed your clean Oxfords," Jack frowned. "Will they do?"

"They're fine," Ianto confirmed. He pushed himself up and went to open the suit bag that Jack had brought, but Jack stopped him. "Jack?"

"Go shower," Jack pushed him towards the bathroom door. "I'll be your valet for the evening. Here, wash bag."

"Thanks," Ianto took it from him and eyed him suspiciously. "Are you wanting to shower after me?"

"No; I got one after this afternoon's run," he pushed Ianto again. "You've got plenty of time."

"And yet he keeps pushing me," Ianto grumbled, but did as he was told. He took a leisurely shower and wrapped himself in a towel to shave, five o'clock shadow not helped by the fact that it was gone six, nor by the fact that he'd shaved at four in the morning. One of those days, really.

Half an hour after he left Jack, he emerged from the bathroom and stopped short in the doorway. He knew he was staring, but somehow he couldn't put his eyes back in their sockets or pick his jaw up off the ground. Jack was stunning, slouched against the wall like the next James Bond in a crisp white shirt and a jet black suit, shoes polished and shining. He gave Ianto one of those slow smiles that went straight to his groin and pushed off the wall. "Just in time, Mr Jones," he practically purred, advancing on Ianto. "May I take your towel, sir?"

Ianto surrendered his towel and narrowed his eyes, trying to get some control over his reactions. Jack just smirked at him, which did nothing to douse Ianto's ardour, despite his natural reactions of 'smug tosser', and folded the towel nearly. "I prepared your suit for you, sir."

Of course he had, and of course it involved black silk boxers that Ianto had never seen before. He put them on, and apparently Jack realised that if he'd helped then this would have been over before it started, and his gaze tracked Jack's movements to the wardrobe. "Socks?" he asked, cursing the roughness of his voice.

"Oh. Here, sir," Jack made a detour to where he'd set Ianto's shoes aside, shining just as brightly as his own, and passed them to Ianto, who sat on the edge of the bed to pull them on. "I prepared your new suit for you, sir. I hope it meets expectations."

Ianto's gaze shot up from his sock, which was resisting his best efforts to get it on his foot, and took in the suit that Jack was holding up for him. It was new indeed, so new that, like the boxers, Ianto had never seen it before. Cut from the same material as Jack's suit, but in a more modern style, with a deep red lining and matching tie, and a blood-red shirt to go with it. He accepted the trousers from Jack first and realised that they were highest quality wool. "Jack, how long have you been planning this?"

Jack tilted his head and smiled. "You know, it's impossible for anyone to look elegant whilst pulling their trousers on." He turned away and slid the jacket off the hanger to get at the shirt underneath. "I got the suit made a few months back, and I've been waiting for the opportunity since. Hoping that you didn't lose any more weight before I got to give it to you."

"Not likely, with the amount you feed me," he pointed out. Jack gave him the shirt, and he let the silk slip through his fingers for a moment. "This is beautiful."

"I know," Jack smiled and picked the tie up whilst Ianto pulled the shirt on. "But it will look better with you in it."

He eyed the French cuffs and ignored them for the moment, working on the buttons up the front instead so that Jack could fasten the tie for him. "Thank you."

Jack draped the tie around his neck and hesitated with his hands resting on Ianto's shoulders. "You're welcome." He fastened the tie neatly and tightened it against Ianto's throat, then went back to the dresser to get a box from behind the vase of fake flowers. "I got you these, as well..."

Ianto's breath vanished again when he opened the box and saw the cuff-links. They were silver, inlaid with jet which was engraved so that Ianto's initials could be read in the silver, absolutely perfect for the suit. "Jack, I can't..."

"Shh," Jack hushed him and took the first cuff-link from him, lifting one of his hands to kiss his fingertips and then slide the cuff-link into place. "I wanted to treat you. To spoil you rotten. Am I managing?"

"Definitely," Ianto smiled and let him take the other hand and repeat the process, transfixed by Jack's lips moving over his skin. "I never know how to measure up to these."

"You are the perfect batman every day," Jack told him sincerely, straightening up to meet his gaze. "I've known men who would kill to have you as their valet; and I'm lucky enough to get you personally as well, every day. This is me measuring up to that."

Ianto smiled and accepted that explanation, and the kiss that accompanied it. "Do you believe in fate?" he asked softly when they parted.

Jack fixed him with a serious gaze. "I do now.

They made their way to the grand hall before they could be distracted. It was the main function space of the hotel, and had been decorated with elegant drapes and pillars of flowers. Tables were placed around the edge of the room, leaving the dance floor clear, and a small string group played soft Celtic style tunes. They were directed to their table by a host, and Jack made sure that Ianto was seated before sitting down himself.

The tables all sat eight, and were laid out with cutlery for three courses. Two other couples, both male-female, were already seated at the table; the women were wearing full-length ballgowns in the strapless style of the moment, and the men were wearing suits, one with a bow tie and one open-collared. Ianto smiled a greeting at them and let Jack do the introductions. "Hi there. I'm Jack, this is my partner, Ianto."

"Jack," the man sitting next to Jack said, grinning. "This is Emily, my wife; Emily's sister, Laura; and Laura's boyfriend David."

"There's too many Jacks in this world," Emily complained. "I can't take him anywhere without meeting another."

Jack rolled his eyes and pointed at Ianto. "Tell me about it. I'm dating Ianto Jones. It gets better, I used to date a John Smith. My friends think I have a type."

"You're not allowed to start looking for an Archie," Ianto told him firmly. "And definitely not that Archie."

"Oh, that would freak him," Jack laughed. "Nah, he's known me too long."

"More than five minutes, then?" Ianto asked innocently.

With the ice well and truly broken, they got to know their table-mates over the first course. Shortly after they finished, the event hostess took to the stage to a polite round of applause. "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome. Thank you for being with us tonight to raise funds for this worthwhile cause. I trust that you're enjoying yourselves so far?" she paused for the appreciative murmur and smiled. "Good. Now, I'd like to thank our musicians for the evening, Crystal Mere. They will be accompanying the dancing tonight as well as during meals, and they inform me that they have CDs available after."

There was a hum of polite laughter at that, and the hostess smiled. "The main course will be served in half an hour, and the called dancing will happen after that. I hope that you continue to enjoy your evening."

She left the stage and the band started up again, playing a soft waltz-time arrangement of Scarborough Fair. Ianto looked up, startled, when Jack pushed his chair back and stood up, offering his hand. "Jack?"

"Will you dance with me?" Jack asked him softly.

Ianto looked past Jack to the dance floor, where a few couples were already swaying to the music, and then back to Jack. He clenched the fingers of one hand in his napkin and reached out to put his hand in Jack's. "I would love to dance with you."

They made their way to the dance floor, and Jack steered Ianto into position. He kept hold of Ianto's hand and brought it up between their chests, sliding his hand around Ianto's waist to the small of his back. Ianto put his free hand on Jack's shoulder and rested their cheeks together, swaying with him gently. He closed his eyes and felt Jack's warm breath flutter against his neck. "Thank you," Jack whispered.

Ianto opened his eyes in surprise. "For what?"

"For coming with me, and taking it all in your stride. I should have known you would," he chuckled. "One day, I'll learn not to underestimate you."

"Well, if you keep underestimating me then I can keep surprising you," Ianto pointed out. "I'd rather be underestimated and impress than overestimated and disappoint."

"Ah, you mean it's all part of the conspiracy to take over the world?" Jack asked.

Ianto considered this and nodded, brushing his cheek against Jack's. "Pretty much. Catch them unawares."

"Oh Ianto," Jack chuckled. "My beautiful, wonderful, mad Ianto."

"Mad?"

"Totally," Jack insisted. "You are as mad as a monkey in a barrel of frogs. And I don't know what I'd do without you."

Jack finished with such heartfelt sincerity that Ianto's breath caught. He tightened his hold on Jack's shoulder and turned his head to kiss Jack's neck. "Well, I'm not planning to make you find out any time soon," he assured him. They swayed to the music a while longer, and Ianto returned his gaze to somewhere past Jack's shoulder, pressing their cheeks together again. "How did you organise all of this?"

"Time, attention to detail and a lot of luck," Jack chuckled, and it rumbled through him into Ianto's chest. "I learnt from the best."

"I never know what to expect next," Ianto confessed. "Every time I think you've outdone yourself, you push it that little bit further."

"My next trick is to organise the whole event," Jack joked. "All I did was book the tickets."

Ianto hummed his agreement and looked around them. "As much as I would love to see you organise an event like this..."

"It might be a bit beyond me," Jack agreed, laughing. "I'd have to leave it to you, which would really ruin the element of surprise."

"It would probably distract from work, as well," Ianto pointed out. "These things are a nightmare to organise."

"Why do I get the feeling that you speak from experience?" Jack asked, laughing. "You're a wonder."

"I'm a devastating loss to the events industry," he dead-panned. "But I think I'm where I'm needed most."

"I don't care if there is anyone who needs you more," Jack started possessively, "you're not going anywhere."

"Possessive, Captain?" Ianto laughed again and turned his head to brush his lips against Jack's ear. "Why would I want to be anywhere else, when I have this? I. Love. You." He punctuated it with kisses to the point just below Jack's ear, whispering the words against Jack's skin. "And I'm loved in return. Who could possibly offer me more than that?"


	5. A Romantic Strategic Withdrawal

**Author's Note:** And we finally reach the prompt that Ruth actually requested. This is the final story in this collection for the moment, but I will be leaving it open for more stories in the future.

Prompt: Fire in the Fireplace

* * *

It was the end of a normal weekly briefing when Jack announced it. Thus far, everything had been normal. It had started at a reasonable time after a good amount of sleep, everyone was making good progress with their personal projects, and Jack had handed out the plans for this week. They had been getting up to leave, all of them assuming that the meeting had ended, when Jack cleared his throat. Tosh and Gwen sat back down again to look at him, Owen leaned on the back of his seat and Ianto carried on collecting the mugs and plates together, but turned his head to Jack to show that he was listening. "I need to take a couple of days off," Jack announced calmly. "So I'll be gone Tuesday and Wednesday next week."

Ianto frowned at him questioningly. There were no conferences coming up, nothing major happening with Alice or Steven that Jack had told him of, and he thought that Jack would have told him before bringing it up in a staff briefing and not left it a week to go over there if anything had been the matter. Tosh and Gwen seemed to agree with him that he should have known about whatever was dragging Jack away, and were shooting confused looks between him and Jack. Owen just grunted. "Is this the point where you invite Ianto along with you and leave us without coffee for two days?"

"If he wants to come," Jack confirmed, but shrugged as though it didn't really matter either way. "I have some property investments, and the tenants are vacating one next weekend, but I can't get my usual cleaning company out to do it, so I'm going out there myself to do it and get the next family settled in."

"You have property investments?" Gwen asked. "I thought you lived at the Hub."

"I do," he confirmed, shooting Ianto a glare for his eye-roll. "Like I said, I need to be close at hand. But I have half a dozen houses in Cardiff and a couple further out that I rent out."

"You must be loaded," Owen said, impressed. "Why are you still driving that old banger?"

"I happen to like my old banger," Jack protested. "And yeah, I'm not short of cash, but I'm not telling you how much I've got, or how much I pay in child support a month," he winked and stood up, effectively derailing and ending the conversation. "Ianto, if you want a couple of days away then the invitation is open, but I really will be spending most of it on practicalities. It's a nice area, though."

Ianto smiled and collected the tray. "I'll see how we're faring when the time comes. Would anyone like more coffee?"

A week and a day later, Ianto found himself standing in the yard of a small farmhouse in the Brecon Beacons, half an hour's drive from the nearest town of any size. With its remote location, it was no wonder that Jack insisted on a fixed term contract, and that his tenants very rarely extended the contract. Jack was greeting a smiling but hassled looking young woman, and Ianto dodged puddles to join them and picked up on the end of their discussion. "It's no problem; these things happen. We'll give you a hand and get it all finished quicker, won't we, Ianto?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled at the woman. "I have no idea, Jack. What did you just volunteer me for?"

Jack sighed and the woman laughed. "Meaghan, this is my partner, Ianto. Ianto, this is Meaghan, who's moving out today. Her brother was supposed to be helping her move, but he got stuck in traffic and decided not to come, so I said we'd help her get her bits into the van."

"I am really sorry," she said sincerely. "I wanted to be ready to go as soon as you got here."

"It's fine," Ianto reassured her. "Honestly, it's not your fault, anyway. Besides, the only way to get him ready on time is to tell him we're leaving an hour before we are, or to do it all for him."

She laughed and wiped her hands off on her jeans. "You know, that sounds just like my brother. Useless twazzock that he is."

"I'm trying not to be insulted here," Jack pasted on a frown and herded them both into the kitchen. "And I don't want to sound like we're trying to get rid of you Meaghan..."

"But you are?"

"No no no, not at all," he reassured her. "But I think it's going to rain."

"I was getting that impression," she agreed. "Of course it's going to rain, it's been glorious all week and I'm trying to move out. There's really not a lot left to do. It's all packed up in boxes in the living room, but I couldn't get it out to the van on my own."

"You've got two strapping men to help you now," Jack pointed out, squeezing Ianto's waist as if proving the point. "How's this for a plan? We'll get the boxes out to the van, and you put the kettle on."

"That sounds like my sort of plan," she agreed. "I can't remember, do you take tea or coffee?"

"Coffee please. Black, one sugar."

"I thought it was." She turned to Ianto, "Ianto? Tea or coffee?"

"Coffee, thanks. One sugar and wave the milk at it," he smiled at her. "And I'll go do what Sir instructs."

"I'll be through when the coffee's done."

Jack and Ianto found that the boxes were easy for them to lift alone; Meaghan was dainty, and Jack recalled her brother being built on a similar scale, whilst they both had considerable upper-body strength from work on top of a more solid build. Every box was labelled in capital letters, with the room the box came from above a short description of the contents. Ianto was bewildered by the number of different rooms, and wondered how Meaghan had coped with its size on her own, even if the rent had been low because of its location. "Jack, does this house have a parlour?"

"Yeah, it does," Jack lifted a box labelled 'STUDIO – CAMERAS' and Ianto gained a sudden understanding of Meaghan's reasons for wanting the place. "The last few tenants have used it as an office snug. Why?"

"Oh, just getting an idea of the scale of the place," Ianto hitched his load up higher and stopped to let Meaghan into the room. "You must have rattled around this place."

She laughed and set the mugs down on the coffee table, which had been pushed to the edge of the room with the other furniture to make space for the boxes. "I had people over a lot and hosted writing and art weekends. It was fun, I'll miss it."

"You could always come back," Jack pointed out; evidently he'd been aware of the business aspects of her tenancy. Knowing Jack, he'd probably been an enthusiastic supporter. "You're a model tenant."

"Maybe in a few years," she smiled up at him. "I need the big city life for a while, but I'll come back if you're still here."

"Oh, I'll be here," Jack promised. "Just don't try to bring teenaged kids out here; they hate being so far from civilisation. I'll be right back, just let me get this out to the van."

It was spotting with rain as they crossed the yard, and they hurried back inside to get their coffees and get out of the weather. There was only one box left, so Jack opted to take it now, rather than risk getting trapped by a downpour with a cardboard box, and left Ianto with Meaghan to drink their coffees. She leaned against the back of the sofa, which was facing the wall, and turned her mug slowly in her hands. "So how long have you and Jack been together?"

"It's... sort of hard to put a date to it," he confessed. "Compounded by the fact that we took a break when he went away for a while. Over a year, though... I think."

"Really?" she looked surprised. "Sorry, I just... he told me he was single when I moved in here."

"It took us a while to realise," he explained dryly. "You look a bit young for him anyway."

She gave him a scornful look. "Says you. You've got to be five years younger than me." He inclined his head to concede the point and she shrugged. "Besides, I found this place in Diva, so we both knew what we were getting."

"That does make life easier," he laughed. "How long have you been in here?"

"Nine months, give or take a week," her shoe fell off her foot and she chased it with her toe to retrieve it. "I signed on for two quarters, then extended for another to make the most of the summer up here, but I don't want to get trapped up here over winter."

"That's understandable," Ianto nudged her shoe back towards her and looked up at Jack's entry. "Oh good, the heavens haven't opened yet."

"Not yet," Jack agreed, crossing to collect his coffee. "Were you talking about me? My ears are burning."

"We might have been," Ianto hedged.

Meaghan finished her coffee and headed for the kitchen. "Right. I've just got a few bits to pack away and a bit of cleaning to do, and then I can be out of your way."

"Don't worry about the clean up," Jack reassured her. "You've got a long drive, and I've brought my glamorous assistant to help me." Ianto curtseyed dramatically. "Moron. Seriously, Meaghan, you want to get off before this rain descends."

"Are you sure?" she paused in the doorway. "I don't want to leave it..."

"Positive," Jack insisted.

She hesitated a bit longer, apparently torn, but a well-timed gust of wind made her mind up for her, and she set the mug down. "Thank you, Jack." She held out her hand and blushed when he raised it to his lips and kissed it. "You're definitely one of my favourite landlords ever, and I'll come back if I can and if you'll have me."

"It was a pleasure having you, Meaghan. Let me know if you want to have it for that novel thing next November and... whenever the other one is," he patted her hand. "You have my number, call me to let me know you've arrived at your new place safely."

"Yes Mum," she laughed, then turned and held out her hand to Ianto, who also kissed it. "And nice to meet you too, Ianto. I'll see you next time I'm renting off him."

"I hope so," he smiled warmly and she picked her handbag of off the floor and the van keys off the coffee table. "Drive safely."

"I fully intend to," she assured him. "Thank you again, Jack!"

They waved her off from the doorway, and then Ianto wrapped one arm around Jack's waist. "So... you have a mysterious farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, lesbian tenants who write books, take photos and run writing holidays from said farmhouse..."

"Just the one lesbian tenant," Jack corrected him. "The last ones were gay and lovely, but split up halfway through. It was very sad."

"Did they stay here?" Ianto asked, steering Jack back into the house.

"Oh yeah. I think they're still living together... or at least they rented their next flat together." He paused thoughtfully and frowned at the door. "You have to be a bit odd to want to rent this place, I think. And I left dinner in the car."

"Well go and get it before it starts raining, and I'll start putting the living room back together," Ianto instructed. "And when that's done, you can give me a tour of the house whilst dinner's cooking."

He'd got the armchairs back into their places and the coffee table out of the way to be able to move the sofa by the time Jack got back, and they moved the sofa into position between them. Ianto flopped on the sofa and patted his lap. "Sit."

Jack shook his head fondly and lay down on the sofa with his head in Ianto's lap, where Ianto could play with his hair. "You have a burning question, I can tell."

"I have," he confirmed. "You rent it fully furnished?"

"Well, yeah. It's not like you can get a removal van up here, is it?" Jack pointed out. "Besides, it varies between being a residential let and a holiday let, and it's short term. It just makes life easier for everyone."

"Makes sense to me," Ianto agreed. "The furniture matches the house as well."

"Yeah, it does. Most of it's original, but I've had stuff made to replace things when it's been required. Did you notice that the kitchen table is too big?"

"To get through the door? Yeah I had noticed," Ianto smiled at the thought. "One of those old style kitchen tables, built in situ."

"Must have been," Jack agreed.

"How long have you had this place?" Ianto asked. "I mean, it's fairly old..."

"I inherited it from my wife. I was going to take a few years out from Torchwood to spend with her, and then go back to them and be killed in action," he sighed. "But then the Great War came along and I was called up, volunteered by Torchwood. And I lost them not long after it."

"I'm sorry," Ianto rubbed his fingertips against Jack's scalp. "It must remind you of them."

"It does," he agreed sadly. "They should have been safe out here, and would have been if it had hit during the winter. We got snowed in up here a few ties; it got me out of going back to the front once. I was able to spend Christmas with them, and then couldn't get back out. But the 'flu hit during the summer, when Sarah was going down into town every day. I even bought her a car so that she could get there more easily.

"I couldn't sell it though, not when it was all I had left," he sighed and curled his hand around Ianto's knee, anchoring them both. "I rented it out as a farm as long as it was viable, then sold off the land to the next farm and started renting it out as a holiday let and for longer periods when I could get the tenants. It's always holiday lets over winter; when the snow descends, you get completely cut off."

Ianto nodded. "Have you got anyone in this winter?"

"A few," Jack sighed. "There's a small school group using it for a field trip later this month, and a family coming from America for a fortnight starting on Wednesday. Depending on when they arrive, we might have to stay in Hay overnight."

"What a terrible hardship," Ianto commented dryly. "So we have a day to ourselves up here?"

"We do." Jack smiled into Ianto's thigh and grunted when he was pushed off so that Ianto could get up. "Where are you going?"

"Does the fire light?" he asked in answer. "Or will we get smoked out?"

"It should be fine," Jack confirmed. "It's one of the things I was going to check, but Meaghan said that she'd been using it."

"Well then," Ianto crouched in front of the fire and looked over his shoulder. "You go and get dinner ready, and I'll get the fire going and make up one of the beds. Do you have a preference..."

"The room cattycorner to the stairs." Jack got up from the sofa and bent to kiss Ianto's forehead, then headed to the kitchen. "There should be linen in the blanket box at the end of the bed, or under the window. If there isn't, then it'll be in the linen cupboard next to the door at the top of the stairs."

"I'm sure I'll find it," Ianto smiled wanly. "How long have I got?"

"Fifteen minutes or so."

"Alright," Ianto pulled a lighter out of his pocket and picked up a twist of newspaper. "Then I shall cheat with lighting the fire."

Jack left the room, laughing, and Ianto quickly got a fire burning and put the fire guard over it. The stairs led off the living room behind him, next to a closed door, and creaked under his feet as he ascended. There were five doors leading off this landing, one of which was open to reveal another narrow set of stairs and another showed a modernised bathroom. He left his explorations for the moment and opened the door Jack had chosen and found a good sized room with a double bed, two bedside tables, a chest of drawers and wardrobe and double pedestal dressing table. The room was painted in a soft yellow, with baby blue curtains and wainscotting. The linen box that Jack had told him about was under the window, and the bed linen was in there. It was yellow and blue, to match the room, and Ianto made the bed up quickly.

When he got back down to the living room, Jack was setting bowls out on the coffee table with a bottle of wine and two glasses, and looked up at him with a smile. "Like what you see?"

"It's a lovely house," Ianto agreed. "Fairly big, though."

"Yeah, it is. Apart from the stairs."

Ianto laughed. "Yeah, I had noticed that. How do you get anything up and down?"

"With great difficulty. Come on, pull up a patch of rug," Jack gestured to the ragwork rug and sat down himself. "One of my former tenants made this. Silvia, I think..."

"It matches the living room," Ianto commented. "It's nice, I like it."

"You hate it, don't you?" Jack laughed. "It's recycling, from before recycling became cool."

Ianto sat down next to him and accepted a bowl of stew and a spoon. "You get a lot of creative types up here, then?"

"Well, who else would want somewhere this remote?" Jack pointed out. "It's got a barn as well, and a few outbuildings, so I let the tenants rent them out to hikers if they want to. Meaghan made a pretty good living from it this summer, and it means that they can afford to stay here."

"You should see if they want to sell their stuff in the TI office," Ianto suggested. "And we really need to get someone in to run it full time."

"Yeah, we do," Jack conceded. Then he poked Ianto with his spoon. "No more work talk, we're on holiday. How's the stew?"

"It's very nice," he dug in. The stew and the fire were warm, and Ianto was cold, so it seemed logical. "I like it out here."

"Yeah," Jack sighed. "I wish I could use it more often."

"I'm having thinky thoughts," Ianto told him. "But they'll wait."

"How very intriguing," Jack laughed. "Eat up, before it goes cold."

They finished the meal in silence and set the bowls aside to curl up together with a glass of wine each. Ianto leaned into Jack's side, resting his head against Jack's shoulder and sighing contentedly. "You know," he started and licked his lips. "I've always wanted to make love by firelight."

Jack chuckled and turned his head so that he could kiss Ianto on the lips. He tasted of wine, and Ianto chased his lips for more, but he pulled away and pushed Ianto off him gently. "I'll go and turn the lights off, then," he offered.

With the lights out, the fire cast dancing shadows across the room, and Ianto watched Jack return to him slowly, stripping as he came. The fire bathed his skin in gold and made him glow with it, and the shifting shadows made him look like an enchanter. Ianto tugged his own clothes off and tossed them in a pile behind the armchair, away from the fire, then leaned back on the rug as Jack reached him. They stretched out next to each other and took their time touching and tasting, chasing hollows hidden by shadow and planes lit by fire, mouths and hands scorching a trail as they went.

They stayed up to watch the fire burn out, wrapped around each other contentedly. Ianto rubbed soothing circles on Jack's stomach and rested his head against his chest to hear the reassuring thump of his heart. "There are definitely advantages to having houses in the middle of nowhere," he commented drowsily.

"Like the fact that we can forget to close the curtains and not get arrested?" Jack asked.

"Well... yeah, that too," Ianto agreed, chuckling because he was too tired to laugh. "But more like... if anything happens in Cardiff, what's the point in calling us?"

Jack was silent for a while, then stroked his hand down Ianto's flank and kissed the top of his head. "I think a lie in is in order in the morning. Fire's out," he pointed out. "Bed time."

They stumbled up stairs without even collecting their clothes and fell into bed, sated and at peace.


End file.
